In his book, Taking Your Faith to Work, Regi Campbell makes the following statement(s) while talking about relationship-building:
If we’re going to be like Jesus, we’re going to meet the people in our sphere of influence right where they are and love them just as they are.
Regi Campbell
I know I’ve used this phrase – sphere of influence – a number of times … and it may seem fairly obvious what it means, but I want to take just a minute to make sure we fully understand the opportunities God has given us, entrusted to us.
Think up: Bosses. Members of the board. Presidents. Vice-Presidents. CEOs. Coaches. Teachers. Professors. You get the idea. Anyone at a higher level than you in the organization. Yes. You can have influence in the lives of those you serve under, those you work for.
Think down: Players. Students. Employees. Anyone under your direct supervision. Anyone at a lower-level position in another part of the organization. What an incredible opportunity to be given, to potentially have a positive impact on the people who work for you.
Think in: Vendors. Consultants. Service providers. Repairmen. Sales people. Waiters. Waitresses. Other professionals. Those who serve you. These are often opportunities we don’t recognize right away, but are a regular part of our everyday living.
Think out: Peers. Colleagues. Fellow students. Clients. Customers. Co-workers. Church Family. This, more than likely, will be your largest group. These are the folks you encounter regularly, the people you work with, the people you serve alongside, the people you do life with.
What does your list look like? You might even take some time and jot down the names that come to mind … then, go love them like Jesus does!